What Coughlin Porter Lundeen does

Coughlin Porter Lundeen is a Seattle-headquartered civil and structural engineering consultancy founded in August 1994 by Jim Coughlin, Steve Porter, and Terry Lundeen. The firm delivers site development, stormwater management, structural design, seismic resilience, historic preservation/adaptive reuse, and mass timber engineering services to owners, developers, architects, and general contractors across the Pacific Northwest, with a secondary engineering presence in Spokane, Washington. Its core technical stack is built on BIM platforms (Autodesk Civil 3D and Revit), supplemented by point cloud scanning using FARO hardware, shared-coordinate modeling for multi-discipline coordination, and proprietary innovations such as the PS=Ø rebar coupler system (a first-in-Washington implementation that eliminated 14–56-day closure-pour waits) and dedicated cross-laminated timber (CLT) engineering practice. The firm has grown from three founders to more than 100 employees organized around two co-equal disciplines — civil (led by Principal Kyle Malaspino and Civil Associate Principal Keith Kruger) and structural (led by Structural Principal Bryan Zagers, P.E., S.E.) — and operates from a single Seattle headquarters.

The firm earns revenue through project-based professional services fees charged directly to project teams; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by scope, complexity, and client. Business is acquired through a sales-led, relationship-driven GTM motion anchored in the Pacific Northwest, supplemented by event- and thought-leadership-driven activity (AIA, NAIOP, A4LE, DBIA NW, SEAW participation; technical blog content; industry panels). Its customer base spans education (University of Washington, Bellevue College, Washington State University, Seattle Public Schools), healthcare (Seattle Children's Hospital), technology and corporate (Amazon Nitro, Vulcan Real Estate tech campus projects), hospitality (Hyatt Regency Lake Washington), and civic infrastructure. The firm is employee-owned: the founders began divesting shares in 2010 under a planned internal buy-out, and six principals (Chris Duvall, Cory Hitzemann, Garo Pehlivanian, Jeff Peterson, Bryan Zagers, and Tim Brockway, who joined the ownership group in January 2018) collectively own approximately 50% of the firm, with no external private equity or institutional capital.

Name

Coughlin Porter Lundeen

Legal name

Coughlin Porter Lundeen

Website

https://cplinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Coughlin Porter Lundeen is a Seattle-based, employee-owned civil and structural engineering consultancy serving Pacific Northwest owners, developers, architects, and contractors with site design, stormwater, seismic, historic preservation, and mass timber services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Project-based fees for civil and structural engineering design services on construction projects. Revenue generated through direct engagement with project owners, developers, architects, and contractors on new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Coughlin Porter Lundeen is a civil and structural engineering consultancy delivering site development, stormwater management, utilities, and wetlands navigation alongside seismic, historic preservation, mass timber, and adaptive reuse structural design for construction projects. Services are provided to project owners, developers, architects, and general contractors on a project-by-project basis from the Seattle headquarters, with supplementary offerings in point cloud scanning, shared-coordinates BIM modeling, and specialized stormwater systems.

Product overview

Coughlin Porter Lundeen is a civil and structural engineering consultancy offering integrated engineering services for construction projects. Their core offerings consist of civil engineering services (site development, stormwater management, wetlands navigation) and structural engineering services (seismic resilience, historic preservation, mass timber, adaptive reuse). Additional specialized services include point cloud scanning for existing conditions analysis, shared coordinates BIM modeling, and various stormwater management solutions. The firm serves markets including commercial office, healthcare, education, hospitality, multi-unit residential, and mass timber construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering Services Site development, stormwater management, wetlands navigation, and utility design services for construction projects of various scales and sectors, delivered to project owners, developers, architects, and contractors.
• Structural Engineering Services Structural engineering services spanning seismic resilience, historic preservation, mass timber (CLT), and adaptive reuse projects for healthcare, education, commercial, residential, and civic clients.
• Point Cloud Scanning Services Laser scanning using FARO scanners to capture millions of data points and create accurate 3D representations of existing site conditions, integrated into Civil 3D and Revit workflows to improve design accuracy and reduce field verification.
• Shared Coordinates Modeling BIM-integrated coordinate system that connects civil and structural models in a unified environment, enabling multiple disciplines and project collaborators to work together seamlessly across building and site models.
• Stormwater Management Solutions Comprehensive stormwater design including Aquabox modular systems, soil cell bioretention, underground injection control (UIC) systems, and Contech Jellyfish filters, applied on constrained urban and education sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced construction schedules by eliminating 14-56 day closure pour wait times using PS=Ø rebar coupler system
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mary's PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership supporting Mary's Place mission to empower homeless women, children, and families. Firm has developed designs for multiple Mary's Place buildings and team members regularly volunteer and participate in fundraising activities including back-to-school drives.
• Construction for ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit construction for change organization. Firm staff serve on executive board and participate in international construction projects for communities in need.
• A4LE (Association for Learning Environments)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation focused on improving learning environments. Firm staff serve in leadership roles including President-Elect position and sponsor educational events.
• DBIA NW (Design-Build Institute of America Northwest)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization promoting design-build project delivery. Firm participates in events and supports industry education on design-build methods.
• ACE MentorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram encouraging high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction. Firm staff serve as mentors.
• UW WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Washington conference supporting women in STEM. Firm sponsors and provides panelists for the annual event.
• Structural Engineers Association of Washington (SEAW) - Existing Buildings CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBryan Zagers chairs the Existing Buildings Committee and participates in SDCI Policy and Technical Committees working on URM building regulations and seismic safety requirements.
• Washington Trust for Historic PreservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBryan Zagers serves on the board of this statewide historic preservation organization.
• SE3 (Structural Engineering Engagement and Equity)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational committee working to improve engagement and equity in the structural engineering profession. Firm staff participate in committee activities.
• AIA Mass Timber CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChris Duvall co-chairs the committee working with contractors to streamline mass timber supply chain and realize true cost of mass timber construction.
• GenslercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on multiple projects including 2601 Elliott adaptive reuse and office-to-residential conversion panel discussions. JP Emery serves as Senior Living Leader and Studio Director.
• Mahlum ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partner on CLT elementary classroom projects across Washington school districts including Seattle, Sequim, Mount Vernon, and Wapato.
• Walsh Construction CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor partner for $3.3M of $5.5M CLT classroom program across Washington state school districts.
• Sage Investment GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate development firm focused on commercial-to-residential conversions. Co-Owner Emily Hubbard participates in industry panel discussions with firm staff.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KPFF Consulting Engineers: Seattle-headquartered civil and structural engineering consultancy with a similar Pacific Northwest footprint, project portfolio (education, civic, commercial), and employee-owned structure. KPFF is CPL's most direct competitor in the regional market across civil and structural engineering disciplines.
• Magnusson Klemencic Associates: Seattle-based structural and civil engineering firm known for complex high-rise, healthcare, and seismic projects. MKA competes head-to-head with CPL on many of the same marquee Pacific Northwest developments and shares comparable technical specialization and client base.
• DCI Engineers: Structural engineering firm founded in Seattle with offices across the West Coast, serving similar markets including commercial, healthcare, and education. DCI is a direct regional competitor with overlapping service lines and comparable scale.
• Swenson Say Fagét: Seattle-based structural engineering firm specializing in commercial, healthcare, and civic projects. Similar size and regional focus as CPL, with comparable expertise in seismic design and sustainable construction.
• ABKJ Consulting Engineers: Seattle-based civil and structural engineering firm serving the Pacific Northwest with similar project types including healthcare, education, and commercial developments. ABKJ competes directly with CPL in the regional market.
• PCS Structural Solutions: Pacific Northwest structural engineering firm with similar project focus on healthcare, education, and civic buildings. PCS is a direct regional peer with comparable scale and client types.

Broad incumbents

• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates: National engineering consultancy with deep expertise in structural forensics, seismic retrofitting, and historic preservation - core CPL specialties. WJE is a broader incumbent that often competes on technically complex existing-building and adaptive-reuse mandates.
• Thornton Tomasetti: Global structural engineering consultancy with strong mass timber and tall-building expertise. Thornton Tomasetti competes for marquee projects CPL pursues and offers broader geographic reach and applied research capabilities.
• Arup: Global engineering consultancy with strong Pacific Northwest presence in structural and civil work, including mass timber advisory. Arup competes with CPL on larger-scale and sustainability-driven mandates where brand and global reach matter.

Regional players

• Holmes Structures: Pacific Northwest structural engineering firm serving similar building types with comparable expertise in seismic design and adaptive reuse. Holmes Structures competes in the same PNW regional market as CPL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cpl_inc
• Facebookfacebook.com/coughlinporterlundeen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/812859

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coughlin Porter Lundeen